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Nutrition: Recipes for change — what authorities can do

There has been no shortage of European initiatives to promote the links between nutrition and health — in regulations, recommendations and research. But questions remain over the scope and the impact of actions to date, and particularly over how far new regulation is needed to create a stronger link between nutrition and health.

The World Health Organization, which has no direct authority in the matter, insists in its own action plan on nutrition that “self-regulatory, voluntary approaches have loopholes, and government leadership is required to establish the criteria for policy and for independent monitoring.” A series on obesity in The Lancet this year concluded that increased efforts from industry and civil society will not be enough: “regulatory actions from governments” will be necessary, it said. An OECD study on combating alcohol abuse published in May argued that “governments’ ability to design and implement wide-ranging prevention strategies through different policy approaches is critical to success.”

João Nabais, president of the International Diabetes Federation Europe, says: “Self-regulation has not brought the expected results. Many companies still heavily market unhealthy food to children, limit reformulation to only a few of their products, or use unrealistic portion sizes to hide high levels of added sugars, saturated fat and salt.”

The EU is the focus of expectations from both sides for incisive action – health advocates seeking tighter rules, and companies seeking a business-friendly environment. But the balance seems tilted in industry’s favor. The EU’s notoriously limited powers in matters of health are counterbalanced by its more robust competences in single market supervision, competition issues, agriculture, and trade. And as the Commission boasts, the food and drink industry is the EU’s biggest manufacturing sector in terms of jobs and value added, and an asset in trade with non-EU countries, which weighs in any deliberations on introducing new regulatory constraints. The Commission’s explicit aim is “to improve the competitiveness of the sector.”

The European Economic and Social Committee Consultative will vote in June on a text with a similar message, calling for “a more business-friendly environment” that is “tailored to the sector’s specific needs.” It complains that companies “face endless problems when introducing innovative products and processes,” and says authorization procedures for placing new products on the market need to be speeded up. That in turn reflects the position of the main industry lobby, FoodDrinkEurope, which points out the sector’s position as “a major contributor to Europe’s economy,” but warns that it is “losing its competitive edge.” The industry message has also won support from EFFAT, the trade union closely linked to the sector, which is urging smart regulation that eliminates bottlenecks to innovation.

The issue of innovation is sharply divisive. Industry says it needs space to innovate. But critics allege that many claims to innovation are simply subterfuges to circumvent those regulations or guidelines that do exist on food content, and that regulators should be more assertive. Patti Rundall, policy director of Baby Milk Action, says EU policy favors innovation over health, and “encourages companies to baffle with science” in the interests of big business. She complains that regulatory action is “riddled with conflicts of interests” and that the Commission has issued “weak and outdated rules” that permit high sugar and deceptive advertising for baby formula products. But many in the food industry argue that innovation is essential to boost consumer choice and to maintain industry competitiveness at home and abroad.

Fact File

A consumer's wish list

BEUC points to a long list of necessary health actions it would like to see enacted, including many of what it claims are unfulfilled obligations.

It says the EU failure to complete its legislation on health claims allows manufacturers to make claims of health benefits for cakes and biscuits that are high in calories and sugar, merely by adding vitamins and minerals.

There is still no obligation for nutrition information to appear on the front of packs, and the absence of legibility rules or harmonization for portion sizes hampers consumers’ use of nutrition information.

BEUC attacks delays in removal of trans-fatty acids (on which US President Barack Obama, by contrast, is tipped to be recommending firm action), on ending the ingredient-labeling exemption for alcohol, on country of origin labeling, and on full labeling of meat.

And on the tighter rules on food information now coming into force, it says "Enforcement will be key!" The BEUC wish-list includes regulation on "realistic portions," nutrition standards for schools and hospitals, controls on supermarket promotions and product-positioning, tighter controls on vending machines and on advertising to children.

In May the European Commission provided healthy school lunches and a recipe booklet to 70,000 pupils in connection with the Milan Expo, and on June 5, it is sponsoring a conference there on the role of fruit and vegetables: “Healthy diet, healthy environment within a fruitful economy.”

EU research ranges from supporting an agenda for "a healthy diet for a healthy life" to using gut flora as a preventive target for major diet-related health problems. Since 2013, EU health ministers have been committed to highlighting the problems posed by overweight young people, and the current Latvian presidency of the Council has made a priority of healthy lifestyles and nutrition. Its Riga conference in February focused on school children and reducing obesity, and explored the challenges of school meals, the school environment, and how apps could help promote healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle.

And the merits of the longstanding EU subsidies to milk and fruit and vegetables in schools that reach more than 8 million children across Europe look as if they may be confirmed by an ongoing review of those policies.

The innovation debate

Henk Aalten of DSM, who chairs an industry nutrition committee on specialty ingredients such as colorants or emulsifiers, criticizes the view that dismisses innovation "as one more step away from good diet," arguing that many consumers, including those with food allergies, "have much to gain from the application of new knowledge and food technology."

He says that European health authorities have paid only lip-service to innovation: "In the past, those with primary responsibility for developing EU food regulations have been health officials with little interest or expertise in market dynamics." What is needed is confidence in the regulatory system, he insists: "When your approval dossiers disappear in a regulatory black hole, and market plans go wrong, that confidence and desire to innovate seeps away."

Enrico Frabetti of meat processing lobbyist Clitravi agrees that "it is difficult to bring new products to consumers, and the EU regulatory framework today does not support innovation." And Wouter Vermeulen told POLITICO the Commission should promote innovation, not allow it to be impeded.

Industry spokespeople also argue for firmer action by the Commission to protect the internal market – which is often a coded message about limiting the scope for member states to introduce their own constraints. “It should prevent any drift to national bans or additional labeling or advertising rules, which could be problematic,” said one, preferring to speak anonymously.

Bart Vandewaetere at Nestlé also says it would be better for firms to have coherent rules;: “There should be greater coordination of member states policies and implementation,” he said. The need for greater European harmonization is frequently raised by international groups: “Having EU-wide nutrient profiles would be of great help in establishing which products can carry health claims. This would safeguard the internal market, supporting investment in reformulation,” says Unilever.

But advocates of greater attention to health in food policy say that the EU’s competing objectives – and particularly the concerns to promote industry interests – risk blunting attempts to boost healthy eating. Even within the Commission’s health department, where European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis says unequivocally that “food is one of the contributors to a healthy society,” the range of challenges is evident. “It is no surprise that my everyday job is to protect Europeans from food crisis,” he told POLITICO. “But there are many more aspects to the food role, such as promoting food safety together with healthy and sustainable diets.”

João Nabais wants tougher action right now. “The EU needs to stop being complacent about its actions to promote healthier eating habits,” he said. “Tackling obesity and unhealthy diets will require tougher and more intrusive legislation.” Ilaria Passarani, head of health and food at BEUC, told POLITICO that the focus of the Juncker Commission on jobs, growth and investment “is creating a sort of paralysis on key measures to protect consumers and public health.” She says the Commission should “strike a better balance between economic and public health interests.”